Make a Wish
by TheCartoonFanatic01
Summary: For her thirteenth birthday, an angry May wishes that she never knew her friend Ash. The next day, she wakes up in a world where her wish is fulfilled. But everything isn't as squeaky-clean as she expected. As the saying goes, be careful for what you wish for, because you just might get it. AdvanceShipping, AAMayL, Ash/May, SatoHaru! R&R!
1. Prologue

**A/N:** Hey, everyone! Welcome to my first fully-AdvanceShipping fic! I thought this up when I remembered watching the sixth movie, "Jirachi: Wish Maker", during the ol' days of my childhood, and I wondered what in the world May's wish was supposed to be? It could've been anything, but, being the avid AdvanceShipper, I hoped that it was a wish for Ash to like her back. Then, my interest in "Pokémon" waned until recently, with the help of my recent induction into the "Advancers" forum community (which I recommend you guys should join if you're avid AdvanceShippers, we're don't bite). I remembered my childhood experiences, including my assumptions for the sixth movie, and I wanted to write a story about it. However, I wanted to be unique, so I did a little twisting and turning with the idea until I had...THIS!

ENJOY!

* * *

_"Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen."  
_-Michael Jordan

_"Nothing happens unless first we dream."  
_-Carl Sandburg

_"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage."  
_-Lao Tzu

* * *

Who knew that one little wish would make a big difference?

_"I'm almost there, just gotta keep going, just keep going..."_

May Maple ran as fast as she could, feeling the cold grasp of the darkness that was pursuing her just inches away. She never thought she had the power to run at this speed. During her travels in Hoenn, Kanto, and Johto, she would always get tired before she would even get halfway done with her journey. But what was at stake, all of the things she knew and treasured for all of her life, it was too much to bear. She couldn't let it go, she just couldn't!

Not because of one stupid little wish.

_"Come on, almost there..."_

Her feet kicked up dirt from the trail she was running across. She didn't dare to look over her shoulder, for she could only feel the shadows just inching up behind her, almost gliding across the landscape with ancient grace, effortlessly growing closer and closer. It almost seemed as if it was intentionally going slow, just to toy with the Coordinator. The hot sweat began to drip even harder from her forehead as May started to increase her pace. Her legs could almost fall off, but she couldn't quit now.

Not because of one stupid little wish.

_**"Come on,**** May,"**_ a voice whispered in the air, laced with the blowing breeze. Its sinister tone seemed to amplify the chilly atmosphere. _**"Come on, you know, from in your heart, that this is what you always **_**wanted_. I know it, you know it...we _both _know it... After all, _he _makes you crazy, just thinking about him. You've even admitted it, May. Come on, May, don't pursue ideals that are too far from your reach, too implausible to occur. Maybe this is just for the _best_..."_**

_"Maybe it is..."_

May almost stopped in her tracks, in absolute shock of her latest thought. But an unknown and almost _magnetic_ force guided her movements, forcefully prompting her to continue...no, _quicken_ her run. She closed her eyes as the pain in her legs began to spread through the rest of her body, like an aggressive disease. She thought of all of the things that she had left behind and was now returning to... Tracey, Misty, Drew, Zoey, Dawn, Brock, the Max she truly knew, her Pokémon, heck, even Harley!...

But most of all, the one who started it all, the one who put all of this madness into motion. The one who made her crazy just by thinking about him.

Ash Ketchum...

_**"Why must you keep **_**thinking _of him,__ May?"_ **the darkness asked as it threatened to reach her, take her in its grasp. _**"You know it'll be for no good..."**_

May suddenly felt her foot catch onto something loose in the ground; she fell over and landed on the ground, a searing sensation shooting up her arms. She screamed in pain and glanced at her severely scraped arms, trickles of crimson blood oozing from the wounds and the loosely hanging skin. She then looked up and watched as the darkness, manifested in a black-and-purple, flame-like substance, towered over her like a giant, leaning over her. A low howl that was emanating from the mass of nothingness was now growing louder and louder, and she felt as if eyes were laden all over the substance, for she could feel some otherworldly sight boring into her.

The darkness continued, its dark voice booming now, hammering away at the Coordinator's eardrums like powerful drills._** "Ash will just ignore you, reject you, cast you aside in favor for his petty badges, his endless quests, his countless attempts at succeeding in Leagues... To him, you are only just a friend and nothing more. He will never, **_**ever _accept your love, return your feelings... He's not concerned for the likes of you. Why bother to undo the solution?"_**

The darkness prepared to engulf her, devour her... May shut her eyes and curled her body up into a fetal position as her last resort for defense against this attack.

"STOP IT, PLEASE!" May screeched over the roaring noise.

_**"Admit it, this is what you **_**truly want_..."_**

As her world went black all around her, one thought and one thought only crossed May's mind...

_"If only I didn't make that stupid little wish..."_

* * *

**A/N:** I know, short chapter's short, but the next few chapters will be longer than this!

So, intriguing, huh? Now, the next chapters are gonna flash back to the events that sparked everything in motion. Hopefully this story kicks off well; this is my first time that I have actually written FULL AdvanceShipping, and I hope everything goes well for me, and for you and the other readers as well. But I have faith in this.

Well, hope you enjoyed this short prologue! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	2. 72 Hours Earlier

**A/N:** Before we begin, I would like to point out first that the story takes place between the "Diamond and Pearl" series and the "Best Wishes!" series. To tell you why that is so will practically ruin the whole AdvanceShippy resolution for the story, so just stay tuned till the end, and you'll find out! :D

**P.S.:** My apologies for the slightly long wait. I've been having some complications in my schedule, namely SCHOOL... *glares at my school accusingly*

* * *

_**72 hours earlier...**_

May couldn't believe that today had finally come. Sure, she was anticipating it for several months now, keeping track of the passing days through her old calendar. But she never thought that after all those long days, weeks, _months_ of patient waiting have finally come to fruition. Never before had anyone else been so excited for their birthday. Yes, May Maple, Coordinator in the Hoenn, Kanto, and Johto regions, was celebrating her birthday today, her thirteenth birthday to be exact.

Staring at herself in the mirror, May straightened out any strands of her brown hair that were still standing out after the cold shower she gave herself. She wanted to look her best for today. After all, she invited her good friends Ash, Brock, Dawn, Zoey, Misty, and Tracey over to celebrate her birthday with her. She also extended her invitations to her longtime Contest rivals and casual acquaintances Drew, Solidad, and (to some indirect extent, since Solidad later wrote that she wanted to bring him along) Harley. This was definitely gonna be her biggest birthday yet, and in more ways than one.

May sighed, her warm breath clouding the glass of her mirror for a second. _Ash_. It had been six months since she last saw him, at the Wallace Cup; she counted all the passing days with great accuracy. She remembered the uncontrollable force that was boiling inside her the moment she laid her eyes on the one person who gave her all of the confidence she needed to nourish her self-worth during her journey in Johto.

Wrapping her signature bandanna around her head, May began walking out of her bedroom, still deep in her thoughts the entire time. It was a curious feeling that she felt at first, the moment she left Ash for Johto. It was a tight feeling in her abdomen, which threatened to constrict her entire interior, all of her vital organs. At first, she believed that it was some sort of actual disease she was suffering, but Nurse Joy cleared her of any type of sickness.

Then, when she first arrived at Johto, May felt some sort of empty feeling in her heart, like something was missing. The mysterious feeling was amplified severely for a moment, when she competed in her first Pokémon Contest in Johto, and it was this feeling that contributed to her loss. She knew that it had to do with Ash's absence. After all, every time he was there, sitting in the stands and cheering for her, it felt as if her body was surging with an unknown power that brought her all the way, no matter if she won or lost in a Contest. If it wasn't about winning Contests, then she'd fully appreciate his presence.

But she didn't put two and two together until after her first victory in Johto. May looked at the half of the Terracotta Ribbon, the other half of which was with Ash, and it gave her the same power she needed to overcome her opponents and achieve success. That was when she realized that she truly missed Ash. So, her entire journey in Johto was spent with her fondly reminiscing about the adventures she shared with Ash back in Hoenn and Kanto.

And since then, she realized that she was _in love_ with Ash Ketchum...

May remembered hitting herself in the head with her fists repeatedly the moment she left Ash behind at Sinnoh. She _knew_ that those couple of days were probably her only chance to tell him her feelings towards him. But...she didn't... She acted like that nothing had developed on her part; she merely acted like a friend as usual... And she left Ash, shaking his hand as a friend, waving to him as a friend... ...Nothing special had _happened_... The only thing close was when the two of them took out their Terracotta Ribbon halves and put them together, and she told him that her half has helped her through her journey...

But that was all. She hadn't said a thing, and she didn't knew why: she was scared. She didn't know how Ash would react... She always imagined a frightening scene, sometimes having nightmares about it... May never said a thing because she was _scared_...

_"But not anymore,"_ she thought as she went into the family kitchen. _"I won't be scared anymore. I'll just tell him, and I don't care if he doesn't return my feelings. All I want is for him to know that I really care about him, and that I just want us to still be friends at the very least."_

"Hey, sis," a familiar voice said. May glanced at the kitchen table and found her younger brother Max eating his cereal.

At nine years old, Max Maple physically changed a lot in a short amount of time. When he was eight, he had begun complaining incessantly about his short height, but by the time he turned nine, he suddenly experienced a growth spurt. In fact, he had now become almost as tall as May, and there was no sign to indicate that he was going to stop growing anytime soon. Unfortunately, the growth spurt also gave him a boost in confidence, which reshaped his personality somewhat, turning him into a rash, stubborn, and overconfident, even _arrogant_ boy who annoyed May to no end. However, like any typical brother, he still cared for his sister and would do anything for her. His overall personality seemed to remind May of Ash, which made her wonder if the growth spurt wasn't the only influence on him...

She liked to smile at the thought...

"May, what in the world's up with the goofy grin?" asked Max, his voice cracking a bit; it had also matured a little from his growth.

May's eyes widened, and she sweat-dropped nervously. "Oh, nothing Max," she replied, waving her hands innocently. "I just remembered something funny that I saw back at Johto." When Max gave her his trademark suspicious glare, with his glasses fully glinting in the light, all the while sliding down to the end of his nose, exposing anime-style beady eyes, May frowned back at him in defiance. "Don't you give me that look, Max, I'm telling the truth!"

Max's mouth curved into a grin as he resumed eating his cereal. "Alright. Just remember to tell Ash how much you love him and how much you wanna marry him..."

"I **WILL** remember this time!" May gritted her teeth as she glared at her brother's mischievous face. "And don't you dare try ruining it for me, Max! I can tell that look! You're planning to screw things up for me! You do that, I swear to Arceus I will call out Blaziken to burn you to death!"

"How?" Max's glasses glinted again. "Blaziken's supposed to be at Professor Birch's lab for the rest of the week for physical and emotional evaluation! I think the best you can do is call out Snorlax and use, what, Rest? Yeah, very frightening, sis, very frightening indeed."

May growled; she hated it whenever Max brought up the fact that her recently-evolved Snorlax was always sleeping, even during a battle.

_"I guess today's Frustrate-May-Until-She-Rages-Completely Day,"_ she thought, shaking her head disapprovingly as she walked up to a cupboard and retrieved a bowl. As she did, her parents Norman and Caroline appeared in the kitchen, radiant smiles on their faces.

"Happy birthday to you!" they chanted. "Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, dear May! Happy birthday to you!" Caroline then finished the song off by dramatically throwing red and blue pieces of confetti up into the air, which showered around May and sprinkled the floor.

"Happy thirteenth birthday, May!" Caroline exclaimed, hugging her daughter tightly. "Oh, my little baby's growing into a woman one day at a time..."

"Yeah, a grown woman I can be proud of," added Norman, placing a hand on May's shoulder. "You've done great, May. I'm really proud of you. You're not the person I expected you to be-" Suddenly, Caroline cleared her throat, looking at Norman disapprovingly, but he chuckled innocently and continued. "-but nevertheless, I am still proud of you. No matter what happens, you'll always be my top Pokémon Train- I mean, _Coordinator_."

"Thanks, Dad," replied May.

"_Hello_?" Everyone looked at Max, who was waving his hand melodramatically. "Got any love for me?"

"Of course we can't forget our Pokémon Trainer!" Norman said, approaching his son and ruffling his hair. "Can't believe you'll be turning ten in a couple months. Oh, the time just seems to be running by me faster and faster each and every day. Don't forget to make me proud, son. Be the fiercest Trainer everyone's ever seen! Pound all of your rivals to the ground if necessary, just like any other Pokémon Trainer would do!"

Max nodded and chuckled, savoring the attention he was receiving, while May and Caroline merely scowled at the two males.

"_Men_..." Caroline groaned.

"So, Mom," May said, deciding to change the mood, "you said you've done a lot of redecorating to the Gym for my birthday! Can I see what you've done?"

"No, I'm afraid not, sweetie. Your dad and I want it to be a surprise, and for that, you're gonna have to wait till all of your friends are here to celebrate! But I promise you, sweetie, you're gonna love what we did to the Gym! It'll be something to behold!"

"Ahem, when you say 'we'," interjected Norman, sweat-dropping, "I'm pretty sure you mean 'me'."

Caroline glared at her husband darkly. "And what makes you say _that_, Norman?"

"Well, I technically did all the heavy lifting. I carried all the shopping bags for you, I had to check the checklist for you, I had to set everything up... You call it a fifty-fifty deal, I'd call it a 88-12 deal. And I think eleven out of that twelve would probably have to go to Kenny, seeing as he had the misfortune of working today-"

"But in the end, it's all for our daughter, Norman."

The Gym Leader sighed and collapsed on a chair. "But must it involve a whole lot of _me_ contributing my blood, sweat, and other bodily fluids?!"

Caroline smirked triumphantly. "If it must."

Norman sighed again. "The things I have to do for my kids..."

* * *

_**A couple of hours later**_

Finally, after spending the past couple of hours by waiting patiently, May heard the doorbell to her house ring. Her heart skipping a couple of beats, she skipped to the door, hoping that Ash would be standing there on the doorstep, his auburn eyes burning with his usual determination, his trademark smile always winning her over...

But it wasn't Ash. It was Drew. Though she knew she couldn't keep her hopes up, the Coordinator couldn't help but feel that they've been dashed, nevertheless.

"Hey, May," he greeted, flashing her one of his trademark roses. "Happy thirteenth birthday."

Sucking everything up, May accepted the rose kindly. "Thanks, Drew," she replied. "Glad you can make it."

"Glad you invited me." Drew's lips twitched into a slight smile. "Didn't think you'd actually invite me, not after what happened back at the Johto Grand Festival..."

May's eyelid twitched suddenly as the memory of her participation in the Johto Grand Festival almost last month refilled her mind, washing up its corners and burning... no, _scorching_, it, as if someone had poured acid into her brain. It was an embarrassing moment, and she didn't want to reminisce about it. Drew noticed the expression and, in an attempt to refocus the mood, he smiled as he stepped inside the house, closely examining the interior, flicking away a stray lock of green hair as he did so.

"Nice house," he remarked.

"Thanks..." May replied as she closed the door behind her.

"Hey, May, who was that at the door?" came Max's voice as the nine-year-old appeared at the top of the staircase. His eyes widened upon spotting Drew. "_Drew_?"

"Hey, Max," replied Drew, smiling. "Long time, no see." As Max traveled down the stairs, his eyes widened slightly. "Wow, did you get _taller_ or something?"

Max's chest swelled up with pride the moment he reached the bottom of the stairs. "Yes, yes I have," he said, a pompous air lacing his voice. That, plus the smirk that formed on his face, prompted May to suppress a giggle, with a large amount of difficulty.

"How old are you?"

"Nine, but I'm about to turn ten soon."

"Ah, ten. So, you're gonna receive your starter Pokémon the day after. Have you decided yet?"

"No, not really. I'm seriously considering Treecko, but Mudkip looks cool as well..."

Drew smiled. "Oh, I recommend Treecko; Grass-types are cool. Especially when you wanna give your battles some pizzazz. Trust me, I know."

May cleared her throat; she didn't like how the conversation had changed its subject. "_Hello_?" she called melodramatically. "Max isn't the birthday girl here, I am."

"Oh, very funny, sis," Max replied as he walked away. Drew watched the nine-year-old leave and then faced May again.

"Sorry about that," the green-haired Coordinator said. "So, who else is coming?"

"Solidad, Harley, Brock, and Ash. Ash and Brock's friends are also coming; you haven't met them."

Drew smiled again. "Ash and Brock, huh? Haven't seen those two in a while. Ash was pretty impressive back at the Wallace Cup. A shame that other guy had to defeat him, though. That didn't really seem fair, even considering the fact that Ash pulled off an awesome move with that Buizel of his." He shrugged. "I never even knew the guy was one to participate in Pokémon Contests, let alone make up a move like Ice Aqua Jet."

"Actually, that was Dawn's idea, Ice Aqua Jet." May smiled at the memory of the blunette Coordinator she befriended at Sinnoh. "Ash just perfected it for her."

"Dawn? You mean the one who beat you at the Wallace Cup?"

May's tone was a bit sullen. "Yeah, her..."

May didn't seem to mind about the reference to her defeat at the Wallace Cup; after all, Dawn deserved the victory, since her Contest streak was seeing much better days at that time. And yet...just thinking about the Sinnoh Coordinator still gave a tight feeling in her abdomen. Not that same tightness that was of love and longing for Ash's company, but one of...some other emotion. May knew Dawn was her friend, and yet, she couldn't help but feel a little sick every time Ash and Dawn looked at each other, both of their eyes shining as bright as stars, burning with the fresh determination that was once shared between May and Ash...

And now, Ash and Dawn were going to reunite, at _May's_ birthday party, since they parted ways after the Sinnoh League and Sinnoh Grand Festival ended...

May shook her head to clear it of the thought. No, she didn't want _any_ kind of feeling to get in the way of her and Dawn's friendship. She was NOT gonna be jealous!...

Just then, Norman appeared in the room, shattering May's train of thought, to her fortune. He smiled at the sight of Drew.

"Hey there," he greeted. "You must be Drew, right?"

"Yep, that's me," replied Drew modestly as he shook Norman's hand.

"Norman Maple, May's father, and the Petalburg City Gym Leader." He swelled his chest in pride upon stating the latter fact; the Gym Leader looked just like Max that it made May giggle at the similarities personality-wise. "It's a pleasure to meet May's rival." His eyes flashed in warning. "I just hope you're not giving her a hard time."

Drew noticed the change immediately and replied nervously, "That's not my job, Mr. Maple; that's Harley's job! I swear to Arceus!"

"Good. I guess that means I've gotta give Harley a talking-to." Just then, the doorbell rang, catching his attention. "Another visitor! Let's see who else is here, May!"

Norman approached the door and opened it, revealing a male Coordinator with long purple hair, clad in a Cacturne-themed suit. May's eyes widened in surprise.

"Alright, where's my darling May?" the Coordinator exclaimed in a somewhat feminine voice as he flamboyantly strode into the house, whipping out a bouquet of dead roses that looked stolen from the pocket of his shirt. "I need to give her all of my blessings, _Harley-style_!"

May struggled to suppress a giggle the moment Norman's face turned red.

* * *

**A/N:** The next chapter will show more visitors come into May's house. So, it appears there's a little rivalry between May and Dawn that's more than one-sided! And, oh whatever has become of our beloved Harley?! With Norman being dealt with, I don't think he'll ever be the same again... :'(

:P

I'd like to thank those who reviewed (cannot answer reviews right now):

**Pikachu Used Thunderbolt**

**PikaScootaloo**

**raikichu09 (guest reviewer)**

**Mudkipster**

**Mundie the Trainer**

**Guest reviewer**

**humanusscriptor**

**BlueLightningXD**

Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	3. New Arrivals

"Remind me to never cross your father in any way, May," Drew said as he placed an ice-pack on Harley's bruised forehead, prompting a pained groan from him.

"Trust me, Drew," replied May, giggling, "you'll remember not to, not after what you just saw."

"Ow, ow, **OW**!" exclaimed Harley. "Careful, Drew-boy! Not on the golden spot! Arceus, May, I do not understand why your father beat up on me like that! I was merely being a good friend, that's all!" He groaned and winced as Drew placed the ice-pack on a particularly blackened bruise. "OW, OW, OW! I SAID **CAREFUL**, DREW-BOY!"

"A good friend, huh?" May retorted. "You call what you nearly did to me back at the Johto Grand Festival being a good friend?"

"Oh, but that was why I agreed to come to your party in the first place, May-girl!" The flamboyant Coordinator waved his hands rather melodramatically. "I only wanted to apologize for my attempt in usurping you! After all, the true Top Coordinator is very forgiving!"

"True Top Coordinator?" repeated a light-pink-haired woman around Harley's age. "You wish, Harley."

"You tell him, Solidad," added May, smirking at Harley triumphantly. Harley, in the meantime, scowled at Solidad.

"Come on, Sole," he said, "you gotta admit that the title of Top Coordinator is something I can easily acquire with my hands tied to my back! The only reason I wasn't able to get the Ribbon Cups in the Hoenn, Kanto, and Johto Grand Festivals was because I was merely being _nice_!" When May and Drew frowned disapprovingly at the remark, he continued, "Trust me, everyone, you should be thanking me for being so generous, caring, and compassionate!"

"Uh-huh." A scowling Drew released his grip on the ice-pack, and Harley had to hold it for himself, with some difficulty due to the cold surface of the plastic bag. "Trying to usurp May is being nice, you say? And what about that little rage-rant you pulled off back at the Johto Grand Festival? You call that nice as well?"

"It's called being in-character. I have a reputation to uphold."

"Yeah," May said, "a reputation for being a complete usurper who has a weird sense in fashion-"

"DON'T YOU DARE MOCK MY LOVELY SUIT! IT'S BEEN SPECIALLY MADE BY YOURS TRULY! I PUT A LOT OF SWEAT, BLOOD, AND OTHER BODILY FLUIDS INTO THAT THING!"

"Makes me not wanna touch it even more!"

Harley growled viciously and prepared to retort when a new voice spoke.

"Am I...interrupting something?"

Caroline was standing in the living room the four Coordinators were currently sitting in. She was wearing one of her aprons, and held in her hands was a tray holding a batch of fresh chocolate-chip cookies, which was emanating a slight steam that filled the room with the natural smell of the cookies.

"No, nothing at all, Mom," replied May, smiling innocently.

"Okay." Caroline set down the tray on the nearby table. "Here, everyone, I made cookies for you all, and I'm making some more. Share fairly and wisely!"

"Thank you, Mrs. Maple," replied Solidad as she took a cookie from the tray and began eating it.

Caroline smiled warmly. "Oh, anything for good friends of May's."

"Yeah, _good_ friends..." May replied, staring directly at Harley, who scowled back.

"Enjoy!" Caroline exclaimed as she left. Seconds later, Max arrived in the room, his stomach grumbling loudly.

"Man, I'm starving," he moaned. "I think I'll just take some of those..." He grabbed several cookies, including one that May was hoping to get; she growled at him.

"Hey, no hogging, Max!" she exclaimed.

"Well, I said I was starving! What do you think I should do about it?"

"You could _share_, Max, that's what you can do!"

"Fine." Max nonchalantly took one of his cookies, broke it in half, and handed the smaller half to May. "Here. Sharing is caring, right?"

May stood up abruptly, the cookie half flying to the ground beside Harley's feet. The brunette Coordinator held the ground firmly with her two feet as she stared at her brother with flaming eyes. "WELL, NOT IF YOU GIVE ME THE SMALLER HALF OF A SINGLE COOKIE!"

Max merely rolled his eyes in response and walked out of the living room, chuckling to himself, relishing in making May angry once again as he took a bite of his cookie. As he left, Harley and Solidad watched him go, looks of impression etched on their faces.

"That's lil' Maxie?" asked Harley.

"He's gotten taller since the last time I saw him," Solidad added.

"And much more annoying," May whispered to herself, just as the doorbell rang again. She sighed and stood up. "I'll go get it..."

The brunette Coordinator approached the front door, revealing a trio of teenagers. One was a girl with orange hair arranged in a single ponytail at the side and green-blue eyes, who held an Azurill in her arms. The second was a boy with dark-green hair who wore summer clothes and a pinkish-red headband; a Marill was perched on his shoulder. The third was a red-haired girl with sunglasses and wearing a dark-red shirt, an orange vest, and blue jeans.

"Misty, Tracey, Zoey!" May exclaimed, a smile forming on her face. "You guys made it!"

"Yep," Misty replied as she hugged May. "It was a bit difficult, trying to secure a good flight from Cerulean to Petalburg, but all that hard work was worth it in the end." She and Tracey stepped inside the Maple house. "Happy birthday, May. Can't believe you're thirteen years old."

"Yeah, happy birthday, May," Zoey said.

"May the best of luck go to you on this great day!" added Tracey, smiling optimistically.

"Yeah..." May chuckled as she struggled to hold her nervous attitude at bay; thoughts of Ash and her began to fill her mind like water in a jug. "The best of luck..."

Misty raised an eyebrow, noticing May's sudden shift in behavior. "May, are you okay?" the redheaded Gym Leader asked.

May forced on a wide, toothy smile. "Yeah, everything's fine, Misty! There's nothing to worry about at all!"

She closed the door behind her, as a sudden cold wind blew in and briefly overwhelmed her.

* * *

May wasn't really liking how Max was suddenly becoming the center of attention, on her birthday, nonetheless! Like everyone else, Misty and Tracey noticed his drastic growth spurt and positively commented on it, much to his pleasure and May's chagrin. Now, he was sitting with her friends in the family living room, talking about all of the advantages that his brand-new height has given him, as well as his anticipation on becoming a Pokémon Trainer. She began to fear what would happen when the rest got to her house: Brock, Dawn, and Ash. Ash's reaction worried her the most; he always found confidence in Max's future.

"So, which starter Pokémon are you planning to get, Max?" asked Tracey.

"Well, Treecko was recommended to me," Max replied, looking at Drew, who approvingly nodded back in response.

"Well, it's your choice, Max," Misty said, smiling. "No one should tell you what to pick." She jokingly glanced at Drew, who shrugged. Then, the Gym Leader chuckled as she remembered something. "You know, I remember when I first met you three years ago. You were small back then."

Max sighed. "Oh please, don't remind me..."

"But look at how much you've _grown_, Max! Almost ten years old, and about to become a Pokémon Trainer! Time sure does pass by, doesn't it?"

Max smiled proudly. "That's what my mom said to me."

"Your parents must be proud, Max," Solidad said.

Max's smile widened, something that sickened May to the stomach. "They are, thank you very much."

May sighed and left the living room as the conversation continued. Traveling upstairs and entering her bedroom, she collapsed on her bed. Usually, she anticipated her birthdays. But now, she felt that this was the worst birthday so far. No one seemed to know she existed anymore! All they were concerned about was Max's future.

But then, she smiled as she remembered that it was just the beginning of the day. There was no need to worry right now. Once her parents had brought out the cake, and when the festivities, whatever they were, began in the Petalburg Gym, then the attention will be back on her.

Hopefully so...

"Hey, May," a voice said. "Can I come in?"

May sat up on her bed in surprise. Standing in the doorway of her bedroom was a familiar blue-haired girl wearing a primarily-black mini-dress with a white undershirt inside a V-shaped neck, a short pink skirt, a white beanie with a pink Poké Ball print on it, and pink knee-high boots with black socks underneath. May smiled widely at the newest guest, stood up, and excitedly gave the girl a big hug, which she returned.

"It's _so_ great to see you here, Dawn!" exclaimed May.

"It is so great to see _you_, May!" Dawn replied, releasing her fellow Coordinator and smiling brightly. "I just got to Hoenn a couple of days ago. I'm actually planning on participating in the Contests here, but I thought I'd start off my stay by coming to your birthday party!"

"I'm glad to hear that, Dawn, you participating in the Hoenn Contests! Trust me, they are fun to participate in!"

"Hearing that from an expert, I guess I can trust those words!" Dawn then looked out into the hallway. "Hey, Piplup, May's over here!"

The Penguin Pokémon skipped into the bedroom, a cheery expression on its face. In its excitement, it accidentally tripped on its own feet and comically fell on the floor. May giggled and scooped up Piplup, whose bruised face was etched with an expression of hurt pride.

"It's great to see you, Piplup," she said. "You gotta be more careful! Accidents can happen every day!"

As she said that, May couldn't help but feel that there was a slight chill in the air. She fleetingly glanced at Dawn and remembered her slight feeling of jealousy towards her, for it had suddenly risen again... Dawn noticed May's current expression and raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"May?" she asked. "Are...Are you okay?..."

May shook her head slightly before smiling widely. "No, I'm fine. No need to worry, like you always say, right?"

Dawn still held the curious expression on her face before returning the smile, though it appeared reluctant.

"Yeah, no need to worry."

* * *

**A/N:** Yep, short chapter is short. But Dawn, the object of May's reluctant rivalry for Ash's love, has arrived, and I guarantee that some major stuff is gonna go down!

I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

**Pikachu Used Thunderbolt:** He will be, don't fret!

**Mudkipster:** Well, Misty's now here, and yes, you'll be seeing some rivalry between May and Dawn.

**LegitEmi:** Yes, we'll be seeing more funny Harley, as evidenced earlier.

**humanusscriptor**

**Ultratron562**

Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	4. Troubles with Harley

**A/N:** Sorry for the long wait, everyone! I've been trying to get caught up with a P&F fic of mine. But now, I managed to get back to this! HOORAY!

Alright, enough chitchat. ENJOY!

* * *

"And with that last attack, the Darkrai flew off, defeated, and the town hasn't suffered a nightmare since!"

"Wow, that was such an awesome story, Zoey!" exclaimed Max.

Zoey smiled proudly as she stroked her Glameow. When she arrived in Hoenn, she had received a change in clothing. Now, she wore a short-sleeved red-and-orange-striped shirt with a mahogany vest that sported a Poké Ball symbol, as well as blue jeans, but she retained her trademark sunglasses.

"Wow, I never knew a Darkrai could be that scary!" Misty said.

Zoey shrugged. "It was a toughie, but I managed to overcome it in the end. Always overcome with determination and bravery, just like my mother keeps saying to me. Max, you'd better be listening closely to this. In all of my experiences of traveling throughout the Sinnoh region, I have always encountered some interesting and quite dangerous stuff, and there is absolutely no doubt you will be experiencing these kinds of thing as well."

"Thanks for the advice, Zoey," replied Max.

"What're you guys talking about?" Dawn asked as she and May traveled down the stairs, followed by Dawn's Piplup.

"I was telling the others about an encounter I had with a Darkrai, Dawn," Zoey said in response.

"A Darkrai?" Dawn raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "I've had my share of encounters with Darkrai. They are actually nice Pokémon if you get to know them. Well, for the one living in Alamos Town, that is. Anyway, I guess we've only got Brock and Ash to go, and once they arrive, we can get this party started!"

"Oh, joy..." Max grumbled disapprovingly.

"Maxwell Maple, don't use that tone!" Caroline chided as she entered the living room. "This is a very happy occasion for your sister, and I am confident that she'd want it to be such. You would be feeling the same way if we were dealing with _your_ birthday, Max."

"Trust me, I would."

"Then be on your best behavior, Max. Just for once, for your sister." The stern look on Caroline's face vanished, immediately being replaced with a delighted one as she glanced at all of May's friends, smiling brightly. "Alright, now how is everyone holding up in here?"

"We're doing great so far, Mrs. Maple," Misty replied.

"When's the party gonna start?" asked Harley impatiently as his stomach grumbled. "I think good ol' Harley is a little hungry for some birthday cake!"

"Have a little patience, Harley. We need to wait for some more guests. Once everyone's here, then we'll start the party!"

Harley grunted angrily as Caroline left. "Wow. Ash and Brock had better hurry their slow, lazy butts..."

"Hey, Ash and Brock are from the Kanto region, Harley!" May exclaimed angrily, immediately springing up to Ash's defense. "It's a bit of a long flight from here to there! You yourself should know that; surely you had to take a flight or a cruise to Kanto if you were there for the Kanto Festivals!"

"I took a cruise, just so you know, and it took less than two hours to get to Kanto." Harley smirked proudly as he crossed his arms, relishing in the satisfaction that he gave his arch-rival her comeuppance. "Whenever the great Harley's around, _everything_ goes faster. If only the same can be said for your boyfriends..."

May instantly blushed and blustered, as if on instinct, "HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND, ALRIGHT HARLEY?!"

Harley came to full attention at her outburst. "Who isn't your boyfriend?" His smirk widened devilishly. "Does little wittle May have a little wittle _crush_?..."

"Oh, bug off, Harley," Drew snapped, annoyed. "Today's May's birthday, and even then you're gonna screw her day up for your own selfish satisfaction?"

Upon seeing the annoyed and defensive expressions on everyone else's faces, except for Max's, the flamboyant Coordinator grumbled in defeat, pouting. "_Fine_..."

However, May began to think about what Harley had said, about Ash and Brock taking too long to get to Hoenn. She glanced at Misty beseechingly.

"Uh, Misty?"

"Yes, May?" replied Misty, looking at the brunette Coordinator.

"How long did it take for you to get from Cerulean City to here?"

"About two hours. Why?"

May's stomach fell, but she still found a sliver of hope. "Did you happen to see Ash and Brock before leaving, by any chance?"

Misty shook her head. "Nope. Sorry." Recognizing May's mood, she added, "I'm pretty sure they're trying to look for a birthday present for you, May. You know Ash. He isn't always that prompt on things." She chuckled, remembering the less-than-satisfactory present Ash gave her for her twelfth birthday, a crudely-made necklace that was obviously quickly made by him in a short matter of time. "Don't worry, May. Ash and Brock will get here soon, and the party can begin!"

May nodded, thanking Misty before leaving for the family kitchen. There, she saw Norman, sighing sadly as he browsed a small pile of price-tags and manuals.

"Arceus-damn it..." he grumbled. "All of these birthday supplies, and _this_ is how much I have to pay the store?"

"What's that, Dad?" May asked suddenly.

"May?!" Norman exclaimed, obviously startled. He quickly hid the tags and manuals under the table in a poor fashion before scratching his head innocently. "Oh, that's nothing, it was just more bills for the house! My Arceus, they're really piling up, aren't they? Anyway, has everyone arrived for the party, my sweetie?"

May sighed and shook her head. "Not yet. We've got two more guests to go..."

Norman shrugged. "Don't worry, I know they'll come. Everyone we invited sent envelopes saying that they'll definitely come."

"Oh. That's great." But for some reason, May didn't feel satisfied.

* * *

_**Several minutes later**_

May sat alone in the kitchen, subconsciously stroking the half of the Terracotta Ribbon that she procured from her pocket. At this point of time, Ash and Brock should've been here about three hours ago, and the birthday party would've already started. But no, they weren't here, and she wondered why. Did their plane crash? Did their ship capsize somewhere in the ocean? Were they being held back by another attempt by Team Rocket to snatch Ash's Pikachu? Was she just worrying too much?

May glanced at the Ribbon and let out a long sigh, her cool breath coating its metal surface. She then enclosed her fist around it and looked up at the ceiling, her mind wandering off. She began to think if Ash would ever really accept her feelings that were more than just those of friendship. She actually doubted that he'd understand the first few confessions, since his goal of becoming a Pokémon Master dominated the whole of his mind. And if he finally understood, what would he think of it? Would it be an obstacle to his goal? Would it be some big break? What kind of aftereffects would it have on him?

She sighed and rested her head against the surface of the kitchen table. _"Well, only time will tell,"_ she thought.

"Hey, May," a voice said in a drawling tone. She sighed again, this time with anger and annoyance, and looked up, watching as Harley entered the kitchen.

"What're _you_ doing here, Harley?" May asked.

"The Harlster's become hungry, so I thought I'd snatch some food from the kitchen," replied Harley as he opened up one of the cupboards and took out a large bag of potato chips, opening it up and greedily eating the contents. He spoke again, crumbs flying out of his mouth; May flinched in disgust. "So, where were we?..."

May's tone was flat, but defensive. "I don't have a crush or a boyfriend, Harley."

"What was with the outburst back there?" Harley smirked devilishly. "Don't worry, May; your secret's safe with me..."

"The last time a secret of mine was entrusted on you, you blabbed it out to the whole world, just like the ass you were and are now."

Harley's eyes widened, and he issued a gasp of fallacious shock. "Oh, May, honey! LANGUAGE! Do you kiss your _mother_ with that mouth?!"

May snorted. "What about you?" she retorted jeeringly. "I guess you've only got a face a mother could love."

"What do you mean by-" He immediately realized what she was getting at. "**HEY**! DON'T YOU **DARE** CRITICIZE MY STYLE! IT'S A STYLE TREASURED FOR **CENTURIES**!"

May giggled with satisfaction as she stood up, preparing to leave the kitchen. Just then, Harley spotted something.

"Hey, what's that?"

"What's _what_? I don't have time for your tricks anymore, Harley."

"No, seriously, girl! What's that in your hand?"

May forgot that she still had the Terracotta Ribbon half in her hand. Her grip on it tightened as Harley stepped forward.

"It's nothing," she replied quickly.

"No, there's definitely something in your hand. Come on, can I see it? For old times' sake?"

"_What_ old times? It's been nothing more than you trying to sabotage my Contests and humiliating me! Go away, Harley!"

Harley reached for her clenched hand. "No, really! I just wanna see-"

May pulled her hand away, her teeth gritted in rage. "I SAID **GO AWAY**, HARLEY!"

Harley's lips curved into an innocent smile that sickened May to the stomach. He reached forward again. "I just wanna see, honey-"

"**NO**!" May screeched; this time, Harley managed to grab her hand. He tried to take a look at the Ribbon, but May tried desperately to pull away. It immediately turned into a struggle, and the two both fell to the floor, trying to gain full control of May's clenched hand.

"PLEASE, MAY, JUST THIS ONCE?!"

"HARLEY, **STOP IT**!"

Dawn, Zoey, Drew, Misty, and Solidad immediately ran into the kitchen, having heard May and Harley's struggling.

"What in Arceus's name is going on here?!" exclaimed Misty. Harley looked up at the five, obviously surprised and giving May enough time to wrench herself free from the flamboyant Coordinator's grasp. Unfortunately, she drew her arm backward too abruptly, and the Terracotta Ribbon half was sent flying into the air...

And into the drain of the sink.

It felt as if time had stopped completely. May stood on her spot, rooted to the floor, her eyelids blinking but otherwise no other movement made by her.

Then, time caught up to her, and she let out a bloodcurdling scream of shock and terror. The Coordinator ran to the sink and looked down at the drain, hoping that it was somehow within her reach. Unfortunately, all she could see in the pipe was darkness. May knew that her parents were no plumbers, and the local plumber wasn't as reliable as he used to be. And there was a possibility that the pipe was tangled in the waste-disposal system, which was somewhere at the base of the drainpipe...

"What _happened_?!" Drew demanded, glaring at Harley.

"I just wanted to see what was in May's hand..." replied Harley, finally registering the fact that he did something wrong.

"You wanna know what was in my hand?"

May's voice was quiet, barely audible, and yet, it seemed to fire off a stream of white-hot flames. Her entire body was trembling severely, and her hands were clenched into menacing fists. The brunette turned around, glaring at Harley, her eyes burning red with fury.

"You wanna _know_ what was in my hand?" May repeated.

Harley gulped, recognizing his rival's mood. "Okay, honey, whatever I did, I'm sorry-"

"YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT YOU **DID**?!" roared May. "YOU MADE ME LOSE EVERYTHING THAT I HELD **DEAR**!"

"Everything that you held dear was some handheld item?" Harley asked before he could stop himself.

May's eyelid twitched, but otherwise, she stood still. Dawn gulped and stepped forward.

"May, there's no need to worry," she said, waving her hands and chuckling nervously. "I think we can get someone to get that thing from the pipe, no problem at all-"

May's next movements happened in a flash. Everyone only saw a fiery blur as the Coordinator charged forward and kicked Harley in the nether region, channeling all of the power that she had into her leg. A loud thumping sound was heard, followed split-seconds later by a scream of pain and then Harley falling over onto the floor on his side, his hands on his crutch, moaning in agony. Everyone's jaws dropped open, even May's, for she followed her recent action of violence out of gut instinct.

"OH, MY NETHER REGIONS!" squealed Harley.

"Oh my Arceus, **HARLEY**!" Drew screamed, his lip twitching, as if it was about to form a smile for a second.

Solidad knelt down beside Harley and helped him up, just as Norman, Caroline, Max, and the others ran into the kitchen.

"What happened?!" exclaimed Norman.

"I have no idea..." Drew replied, overcome with shock.

"May kicked Harley," Solidad said.

Norman's eyes widened, but Caroline shouted, "**WHY**?!"

"Harley made her lose something in the drain of the sink," explained Dawn, speaking for her fellow Coordinator.

"Lose what?"

"My Terracotta Ribbon..." May said quietly.

Norman ran over to the sink drain and looked inside it. He then looked back at his daughter, smiling. "Don't worry, May," he said. "I'll just call the plumber, and he will have it all taken care of!" His face then hardened into a stern expression. "In the meantime, I think you have some apologizing to do-"

"Why should I?!" May snapped. "Harley's been trouble for me ever since I first met him! He doesn't deserve any apologies-"

"May Maple, you will apologize to Harley. I am aware of what he's done to you, but he's our guest, and he deserves to be treated as such."

_"Says the guy who gave him a beating for being pure trouble for his daughter."_ May was determined to say that as a retort to Norman, but she knew that there'd be hell to pay if she did so, so she merely grumbled in agreement, turned to Harley, and muttered, almost inaudibly, "Sorry Harley, for kicking you in the dick."

May then turned away and marched upon the stairs, whispering to herself as she did so, "But that won't be a problem, since you're a dick in more ways than one..."

When she reached her bedroom, May collapsed onto her bedroom, burying her face in her pillows as she began to silently weep. She could hear her father calling the local plumber, and Zoey saying something about giving her some space. May couldn't agree more, however. She didn't know how she'd act around the next person she saw. Instead, she continued to cry, and also began to punch her bed as hard as she could in fury.

_"Max is hogging all the attention, Ash is late, and now I lost my Terracotta Ribbon!"_ she thought furiously. _"This is the _worst_ birthday party ever!"_

A chill slithered through the room, embracing her as she continued to wallow in her despair.

* * *

Meanwhile, back downstairs, Harley groaned as Solidad handed him an ice-pack for his bruised crotch.

"Oh, my manhood," he moaned.

Drew couldn't help but snort and reply, "Huh. Who would've thunk it?"

* * *

**A/N:** Aw, poor May. Harley's obviously a dick who deserved that kick. And that's last part? LOLsworthy!

I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

**Mudkipster:** I'm glad you love the May vs. Max part of the story!

**dangfang42:** Here's the next chapter! Sorry if it's late!

**Guest reviewer**

**doggiepup23:** Here's the next chapter!

Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	5. Make a Wish!

**A/N:** Wow, over a month without a single update. My bad. I've been very busy trying to catch up with the XY news and such. But now, I've gotten myself enough time to work on this chapter and dish this out. Expect future chapters to be a bit short, however. ENJOY!

* * *

"Can you get that Ribbon?" asked Norman.

The Petalburg City plumber, a stout, stocky, elderly man with short gray hair and a sweaty face, pulled his arm out of the pipe and shook his head.

"Sorry, Norman," he replied. "That thing's stuck in the waste-disposal system. I'm gonna have to shut down the power in this kitchen, and then get a couple of guys to disassemble the system so we could get that...that... Wait a minute, what was the thing you lost, Norman?"

"The half of a Contest Ribbon. It's my daughter's, and she loves it very much."

The plumber shrugged. "I do not see what the problem is-"

"You do not know what the _problem_ is?!" roared Norman furiously. "That Ribbon half is a prized possession of my daughter's, and she treasures it with all of her heart! Now, she's lost it, during her thirteenth birthday, and she's up in her bedroom, crying about it! And you're saying that there is no problem with losing a Ribbon half that is very important to her?! You're lucky I'm paying you to do this thing! Otherwise, I'd get you fired, since I remember that little fiasco during Easter as clear as day-"

"Sorry, sorry, sorry!" the plumber exclaimed, alarmed. "I'll get on it!"

"How long will that process take?"

"About 24 hours, maximum."

"You'd better cut that in half, mister-"

"Okay, okay, OKAY!" exclaimed the plumber, waving his hands frantically. "I'm getting onto it right now!" Hurriedly, he dashed out of the room, leaving behind a pouting Norman. Standing beside him was Caroline, who was rather impressed with her husband's outburst in support of May.

"Quite impressive right there, mister," she said, smiling.

"All for our daughter," Norman replied.

"Did you get the Ribbon yet?" a familiar voice asked. Norman and Caroline looked at the doorway of the kitchen and saw May standing there, looking very worried.

"The plumber is getting onto it, honey," replied Caroline.

May's expression didn't change. "How long will that take?"

"He said 24 hours, but knowing his current relationship with Dad, he'll be as quick as he can."

May looked down at the floor, obviously unsatisfied with the answer. Then, she asked, "Did Ash and Brock get here already?"

"No, not yet. Although I-"

Just then, the ringing of the doorbell reverberated through the house, catching the family's attention. Caroline smiled brightly, pleased to be corrected.

"Ah, I guess that's them!" she exclaimed, but before she could stand up from her chair, May sprinted out of the kitchen as fast as she could. Norman shrugged at her.

"I guess that worked to remedy her sadness," he said, smiling brightly.

* * *

May ran up to the front door and quickly opened it, praying to Arceus that it was Ash, Pikachu, and Brock. She gasped upon being greeted by those three familiar faces that belonged to her good friends for as long as she could remember. Then, she was greeted by that warm, friendly smile that had always inwardly charmed her.

"Happy birthday, May!" exclaimed Ash and Brock simultaneously.

"Pika!" added Pikachu, smiling.

Seconds later, Ash and Brock felt strong stinging, burning pains on their cheeks, followed by their heads snapping away and then their bodies falling to the ground.

"WHY IN ARCEUS'S NAME WERE YOU GUYS _LATE_?!" screamed May, although the happiness and joy had already overwhelmed her fury and frustration.

"Team Rocket..." moaned Ash as he straightened out his hat and rubbed his bruised cheek.

"Those guys never learn," Brock said as he stood up and handed May a gift-wrapped box. "Here May, your birthday present, from me to you."

"Thanks, Brock!" May replied happily as she examined the box and then shook it. It seemed to contain a few complex objects, apparently metallic, as she heard some hard sounds. However, she fought off the temptation to rip off the packaging; she knew to save that particular occasion after the birthday cake. She then glanced at Ash as he stood up and brushed his jeans of the dust. "So Ash, where's your birthday present for me?"

"Huh?" Ash looked at her. Then, he blushed with embarrassment and replied, "Sorry, May. I didn't have enough time to buy a present."

May blinked. "You...didn't have enough..._time_?"

"No, I'm sorry." Then, Ash made a determined fist. "I was just so busy preparing to travel to Unova, you know."

"Unova?..." asked May. Then, she added in her thoughts, _"So, this Unova region is more important than _me_?"_

"Yeah, me, my mom, and Professor Oak have decided to go there. The Professor's attending a conference there, and my mom and I thought we'd tag along. According to the brochures of Unova, it looks like a pretty exciting place, and I'm considering challenging the Pokémon League there."

"Oh, really?" May feigned happiness at the news. "That's great to hear, Ash! If you decide to challenge the League, then I wish you good luck!"

"Thanks, May." Then, Ash's eyes widened. "Hey, speaking of Leagues, where's Max? I heard he turned ten earlier this year!"

"Oh, yeah, Max just turned ten!" added Brock excitedly.

Before May could say anything, Ash and Brock immediately dashed inside the house, leaving a cloud of dust in her wake. She let out a heavy sigh as she stepped into the house and closed the door behind her. As she did, she remembered Ash not being able to get her a present. Did he really have enough time to buy her a present? Her parents had sent invitations to everyone a couple of weeks ago. Unless some serious planning and preparation was put into the trip, then there would have been enough time for Ash to get something for her. May leaned against the wall, her head breaking out in a nervous sweat.

Then, something hit her, and she smiled widely. Maybe Ash was planning on surprising her with a birthday present at the last second! If so, then wondered what the present would be. Obviously something very special, otherwise Ash wouldn't go through all of that effort to hide it. Maybe...a _surprise kiss_, perhaps? It made May warm inside, and she was forced to suppress a squeal of excitement that was building up in her abdomen. She had temporarily forgotten about the missing Ribbon half.

Optimistically, she skipped into the kitchen, where she found, to her discomfort, Ash and Brock talking to the others. With Max being the center of attention, of course.

"So, Max," Ash said, "what kind of starter Pokémon do you plan on getting?"

"I'm still not sure," replied Max. "Drew did recommend Treecko, though..."

"Better decide quickly, Max," said Brock. "If I can recall, the Hoenn League season starts in another month, so you better make your decision fast!"

"I guess it's gonna be a very important month for me, then. If only I can pick more than one starter Pokémon..." Just then, Max's eyes widened, and he looked at Ash, smiling widely. "Hey, Ash! Do you remember that promise you made to me, all of those years ago?"

"Like it happened yesterday, Max," Ash replied, smiling. "I promise you, once you become a Pokémon Trainer and train your Pokémon well enough, I'll battle you!"

Max smiled and made a determined fist. "Challenge accepted!"

May frowned disapprovingly and cleared her throat, catching everyone else's attentions. Once everyone was looking at her, she smiled widely.

"Alright! Now that everyone's here, let's go celebrate my birthday party, guys!"

"YEAH!" everyone else replied simultaneously.

As everyone exited the kitchen and walked over to the Gym, May suddenly felt a dreadful feeling that something was gonna go wrong somehow...

* * *

Quite to the contrary, it was an enjoyable birthday party. May, Ash, Brock, Misty, Dawn, and Drew competed against Max, Harley, Zoey, Solidad, and Tracey in a game of tug-of-war, and the former team won after a difficult game. Next, May, Ash, Brock, Dawn, Solidad, and Harley played basketball, and May was surprised to see that Harley had not made any attempts to sabotage her, likely out of fear that she would hit him in the nether regions again. Then, everyone, including Pikachu, tried to hit the pinata, and this time, Harley tried to cheat, but with comically disastrous results on his part. Finally, May and Dawn partnered themselves up in a tag battle against Ash and Drew, with May and Dawn emerging victorious with their Blaziken and Piplup, respectively. During the entire party, Harley ravenously ate all of the food.

During the tag battle, Ash's behavior puzzled May. She wanted to partner up with him, but for some reason, he wanted to partner up with Drew. He seemed very calm and collected as he said that, as if he didn't _want_ to be her partner... Hopefully it was all part of his effort to hide his secret present for her...

However, she was starting to doubt the fact that Ash ever _had_ a birthday present on him. He didn't seem to have anything in his pockets, and when she asked him a couple more times if he really didn't have a present, he said that he didn't, with all of the honesty in the world. It also seemed obvious that he had no intention of ever kissing May as a surprise present, or anything else that wasn't material, for that matter. All he ever did during the celebration outside of participating in the games was talk to Max and discuss about what he should do during his Pokémon journey, and what kind of battling strategies he would utilize.

_"I guess Ash really _did _forget to give me a present..."_ she thought.

"Alright, everyone!" Caroline exclaimed, bringing May back to reality. "Time for the birthday cake!"

"YES, BIRTHDAY CAKE!" Harley howled happily. "LEMME HAVE IT-"

"I don't think so, Harley!" interrupted Caroline, waving the lighter at him. "We need to light the candles first."

"Fine," the Coordinator grumbled. "Make it quick..."

Caroline promptly activated the lighter and lit all thirteen candles adorning the cake. She then set the cake down on the nearby table, in front of May.

"Happy birthday to you!" everyone chanted.

"Cha-cha-cha..." moaned Harley.

"Happy birthday to you!"

"Cha-cha-cha..."

"Happy birthday, dear May!"

"Yay..."

"Happy birthday to you!"

"Cha-cha-cha, okay, let's get on with this cake-feast!" Harley exclaimed quickly as he procured his spoon, fork, and paper plate.

"Hold ON, Harley!" Solidad said, as Drew face-palmed himself in disapproval and embarrassment. "May didn't even get to blow out the candles!"

"Fine. Make your wish quickly, May-girl!"

May scowled at Harley before looking at the candles, the small flames waving at her. It was deadly silent in the Gym, and everyone's eyes were drawn to her and the cake as she started to contemplate on what her wish should be. On her previous birthday, the first birthday she ever spent without Ash, she wished that, one day, he would return her long-withheld feelings for him. But when she reunited with him in Sinnoh, May's hopes were dashed when she saw that he was still more concerned Pokémon battling, as well as the fact that he was traveling with Dawn, a potential rival for his affections, luckily not to be so.

Now that he was here, on her thirteenth birthday, the most important day of her life, Ash was still concerned about anything to do with Pokémon for the most part. He didn't even get her a birthday present. Now that he was here, her head hurt thinking about him. It was as if his very presence was slowly sucking her life away...

"Make a wish, honey," Caroline said, bringing May back to reality. May nodded back in response and stared into the candles.

_"I wish I never knew Ash Ketchum."_

There was a chill in the air as she blew out the candles.

* * *

**A/N:** Now the wish has been made. What will happen afterwards? How exactly will that wish come true? Only time will tell!

I'd like to thank those who reviewed (cannot answer reviews right now):

**Ultratron562**

**Pikachu Used Thunderbolt**

**Mudkipster**

**Mundie The Trainer**

**SkyRage**

**zeldafan128**

**BlueLightningXD**

Well, hope you enjoyed this late chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


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